York University

Published purpose

The Inclusive Space Pathways Program is a comprehensive, cohort-based initiative designed to equip equity-deserving post-secondary students, especially women, with the skills, knowledge, and networks necessary for successful careers in the Canadian space sector. The program will consist of a six-week summer school, complemented by an ambassador network to broaden its impact. To accomplish this, it integrates three interconnected components that collectively address technical capacity building, professional career confidence and readiness, and multidimensional inclusivity. The three components of this program include Applied Knowledge and Techniques for Space, in which students will learn to design a space sensor system and subsequently be trained on manufacturing sensor components using specified printers and suitable materials; Diverse perspectives workshop series, which will instruct participants on unconscious bias, allyship, self-protection in disputes, and safeguarding against discrimination; and Capstone projects to provide a platform for students to apply their technical and professional skills, in which teams of six students will apply technical and collaboration skills to a range of space projects involving sensors and will pitch their solutions to a panel acting as funding evaluators or aerospace investors. After the summer school, with their consent, this project will track student trajectories to explore retention rates and long-term impacts.